The scurs threatened to take the Weather Eye in for repairs. This past week brought some wonderful mid to late March weather if you like that sort of thing in late April. Can we count on one snow-free week, or does Old Man Winter have other ideas? Starting Wednesday, sunny with a slight chance of evening rain. Highs in the upper 50’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Partly sunny Thursday with a slight chance of rain and increasing chances into the overnight. Highs in the mid-60’s with lows in the mid-40’s. Mostly cloudy on Friday with a good chance of rain. Highs in the mid-50’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Saturday, partly sunny with a good chance of rain. Highs in the low 50’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Partly sunny Sunday with a modest chance of a rain shower. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Monday, partly sunny with a modest chance of showers. Highs in the upper 40’s with lows in the upper 30’s. Mostly cloudy on Tuesday with a continued modest chance of showers. Highs in the mid-50’s with lows in the low 40’s. On the 27th, we’ll experience 14 hours of daylight, roughly the same as we’ll see August 15th. Monday is May 1st. The normal high for May 1st is 62 and the normal low is 41. The scurs are relishing the thought of another plentiful May basket.
Crop progress is moving at a snail’s pace. After the warm days mid-month April, it’s been difficult to get a day where air temperatures get above 50 degrees since the 20th. Overnight lows have typically been in the 20’s and low 30’s as well. Aside from the cool season grasses in the lawns and ditches, there simply hasn’t been much progress to measure. Even giant ragweed isn’t setting any records. Corn planted on April 13th was observed to have a radicle about 1/16th of an inch long 10 days after planting. Some are getting anxious to plant ahead of the next system scheduled to arrive late Thursday into Friday. Soils are wet and it’s unlikely we’ll see any 80-degree temperatures and accompanying drying wind. Fortunately growing corn isn’t always rocket science. Sometimes one gets by with pushing the planting envelope and sometimes one pays the price. Which will it be this time? Only time will tell.
The same criteria that govern corn and soybean production apply to lawns and gardens as well, the difference being that many of the early season garden crops and grasses are capable of handling more adversity than corn and soybeans. Vegetables such as radishes, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas, and beets are all capable of surviving cold spring weather. However, a proper seedbed is imperative. Mudding garden vegetables in works much the same as mudding any crop in. Results are usually less than rewarding. Most lawns consist of bluegrass and if you’re unfortunate to live at the ranch, there is also a fair amount of brome that creeps its way in from the road ditch. These cool season grasses are coming, but they, too, eventually require some heat. One can detect temperature and moisture induced nutrient deficiencies in them much the same as one does with our field crops. The visual symptoms are very similar.
The crummy weather gave me an opportunity to replace most of the sod and much of the crushed rock from the last major snowfall event. I was fortunate to get most of it done ahead of the rain, so it should heal quickly with minimal scarring. Amazing how much effort it took, not to mention the time. I’ve decided the next time I’ve got the choice between putting the blower back on and moving snow with the bucket, I’ll gladly put the blower back on. Thawed ground is not your friend when moving snow with a bucket on a sloping, curving yard. The half hour max it takes to attach the blower is a pittance compared to the hours expended raking, shoveling, and scraping after using the bucket. That or I’ll have to hire someone with a dozer to flatten the entire hilltop we live on, so it isn’t so miserable to push snow.
More white-throated sparrows have arrived at the ranch. While we only hear it over a two or three-week period, their song represents that transition from early spring into the full-blown article. That is ushered in by the song of the brown thrasher, whose vocal talents I’ve likened to Jimmy Page only with feathers. The sounds and riffs are unique, but recognizable just the same. There’s no mistaking the crowing of the rooster pheasants on the edge of the yard. The plum and sumac thicket provide a safe place when courting their partners. The roosters are frequently seen slinking along through the lengthening grass on the south facing slope. Dressed in their royal plumage, they just think they’re being stealthy, especially when the sun catches them. Speaking of the sun catching them, the male goldfinches get a little brighter every day. There are no dandelions to speak of yet, so when they land on the lawn, they contrast wonderfully with the greening grass.
We inch ever closer to being done lambing. One of the last two unplanned pregnancies came in Tuesday morning, healthy, and with the lamb making us aware she had landed. The ewe was hovering over her new arrival and had great milk. Hopefully it’ll continue to be a no muss, no fuss affair as the temperatures warm towards more normal levels. Beats the heck out of the below zero treatment that some of her contemporaries had to contend with. Warmer temps should also accelerate the pasture growth and allow us to wean ewes and lambs sooner than later. In the meantime, the ram and a handful of ewes that lost lambs or remained open make for a pastoral scene when approaching the ranch from the south. It looks like they belong there.
Poppy has been able to be outside more, although she’s liked the heated floor once she comes in for napping purposes. Sometimes that takes a while after she’s done chasing her ball and kong around. We still spend an inordinate amount of time looking for her toys that disappear. They turn up eventually. One day we looked high and low for her ball. Peered under, behind and on top of almost everywhere we could think of. We finally gave up. Several days later I was getting ready to put my work boots on when I saw Poppy pawing at them. Sure enough, flopped the boot over and out rolled the orange ball. My old pal, Scoop, used to hide his money in his shoe. I checked for money in my boot. Nothing. Poppy must’ve hidden her stash someplace else.
See you next week…real good then.